Accidentally In Love
by MysteryKMR
Summary: After a silly but honest mistake, DG & Jeb are forced to deal with the consequences.
1. I Don't Understand

**Disclaimer**: I sadly don't own them, but they sure are fun to borrow!

* * *

"I don't understand!" screamed DG, pacing back and forth across the room. "Nothing is ever easy here, is it?" she asked, sighing as she sat down on the couch.

"Was it easy where you grew up?" Jeb asked, knowing what her answer would be.

"Well, no," she conceded. "But it sure was less complicated."

"So what part of the current situation are you having trouble understanding?" he asked, reaching to put an arm around her when she stood up abruptly and went back to pacing the room.

"I traveled all over the O.Z. with guys and nobody had a problem with it til now. What's so special about now, huh? What is it that has changed? Is one guy somehow worse than traveling with three? And why didn't I get the memo?" she asked, ending her rant in favor of catching her breath.

Ignoring the last question since he didn't know what it meant, Jeb tried to remain calm and answer her questions, hoping in time she wouldn't be so opposed to the idea. Besides, it _was_ her fault.

"Well, with three it was kinda obvious they were guarding you. One looks far more suspicious."

"Do I need to remind you that of those three one was a Viewer and another was a Headcase? Not that I don't love Glitch, cause I do, just trying to point out that they didn't jump to conclusions about Cain when we were in that company."

"Doesn't matter. You still were with them. It didn't harm your reputation cause you were a princess on a mission with your loyal bodyguards, even if nobody had the title at the beginning."

"Bodyguard."

"Yes. Bodyguard."

"Body-guard. One who guards a body, namely this one," she said, pointing to herself.

"Yes, guarding you. What's your point?"

"Then what the heck were you doing in the Eastern Guild last week?!" she asked angrily, standing toe-to-toe with him, her eyes never leaving his.

"Protecting you," he said, maintaining eye contact as he tried to remain calm. They couldn't both be angry at the same time, that wouldn't solve anything.

"Protecting me? _Protecting_ me?! That worked real well, didn't it?" she asked, throwing her hands up in the air. "Protecting me. Ha! As if!"

At this Jeb finally snapped. He had done his best to protect her. At least she was alive, she should be grateful, but _noooo_.

"If you hadn't opened your mouth we would have been just fine, _Princess_," he said angrily. "Why didn't you just let me handle it? That was the plan, remember?" he asked, his anger rising. "But does Princess DG listen? No, of course not. How silly of me."

"But I…You…You said…I thought it would help!" she finally spat out.

"And how exactly did that help us?" he asked, his anger still evident but lessened. She was seriously trying his patience.

"Well, it was supposed to convince them to back off. They had a problem with it being just us even if you were my bodyguard so I…fixed it," she said, looking pleased with herself before remembering the damage it had done.

"Yeah. You fixed it alright," he said rolling his eyes. Now he understood his father's reactions to the princess.

"It made perfectly logical sense if you ignore the fact that they are incapable of being perfectly logical!"

Jeb couldn't help himself. He laughed heartily at her little outburst. "Right…." he said when he finally stopped laughing.

"Glad you're amused. I'm not," she said, sitting down once more and covering her face.

"I'm more amused now than I was then," he said, trying to stifle the urge to start laughing again. "Just admit it. You screwed up. We'll figure it out, Deege. It's not the end of the world."

"I screwed up. What's new? So glad you're happy that I get to ruin your life a second time," she said bitterly, beginning to pace again as she turned away from him. She didn't get far before he wrapped his arms around her, turning her to face him.

"You're not ruining my life…just…making it more interesting. Father was right, guarding you will never leave me with a dull moment," he said, chuckling. DG groaned.

"Cain…what are we gonna tell him?"

"How about the truth, Kid?" came a voice at the door. Seeing Cain, DG groaned again. This was not gonna be easy.


	2. Cain Gets Some Answers

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own them sigh

* * *

Cain entered the room looking extremely agitated. "How long?" he ground out finally. "How long have you been sneaking around and not telling me anything? And _why_ did I find out like _this?_" he spat out, slamming a piece of paper on the table next to him.

A look of confusion fell on both DG and Jeb's faces at the piece of paper. Jeb leaned over to pick it up, looking curiously at his father. Cain merely motioned to him to read it, which he did.

"What is it Jeb?" DG asked, growing more concerned at the heat that was coming off of Cain in his angered state. 'If looks could kill, Jeb and I would be dead, that's for sure.'

"Deege, I think you better go see your mother."

"No, I'm not leaving. This is my fault, as per usual, but I'm not gonna let you deal with it on your own."

"It's not that. Look at what she did," he said, handing her the paper.

She read it and her eyes went wider than the Cain men had ever seen.

"How could she? But I…she must have known we haven't had time to deal with it much less tell anyone. It's bad enough it was halfway back here when we got back, but this?" she asked, sighing and sinking to the floor.

"Would somebody please tell me what is going on here and why I got an invitation to my son's wedding when I didn't know he was courting anybody and why for Ozma's sake he's marrying a princess I thought was my friend and told me nothing of the relationship either?!" he roared, hurt that they didn't tell him and insulted that they had managed to sneak around without him figuring it out sooner.

"It's not like that Father. We had some…complications…at the Eastern Guild last week. You know how temperamental they can be, not to mention very set in their ways."

"What does the Eastern Guild have to do with this wedding?"

"Well, you see Cain," said DG, finally accepting Jeb's helping hand to stand up. "They didn't like us traveling around there on our own. They refused to let us pass because I was alone with my bodyguard."

"I don't understand. You're the princess. They have to let you pass. And what, pray tell, is wrong with being seen with your bodyguard?"

"Apparently everything," she said sighing heavily. "They thought we would be a bad influence on their children if we continued to be alone out there, but refused to offer chaperone or let us bypass them to the woods beyond since they knew we would definitely be out there alone then. What was I supposed to do, Cain?"

"The better question right now is _what_ _did you do?_" he said, looking exasperated. Never in his life had he met someone so troublesome and that included working protection detail for the Mystic Man. 'What have you gotten me into' he mentally asked, wondering what had possessed him to promise to protect her.

"I might have said something along the lines of we were a couple."

"Well, that explains why they wouldn't want you to spend time together alone," he said, as if this was obvious.

"They were already of that small mindset, Cain, it didn't do any good."

"Then what happened?" Clearly there was something more here they weren't telling and Jeb had remained silent, allowing DG to tell her side of the story before having a breakdown.

"I said…well, I thought it would help! On the Other Side it would have meant everything was fine and could be fixed later, but nooooo, not in the O.Z. Sheesh!" she said, turning away from Jeb to resume her earlier pacing.

He reached for her and wrapped her up in his arms. "It's ok, Deege, you didn't know it couldn't be undone. It's not your fault." She sobbed into his shoulder, clinging to him. Cain watched with interest, touched at how loving his son was being toward this girl. 'She certainly has that affect on people' he noted, watching Jeb hug her a little tighter.

"Basically Father, she told them we were engaged, thinking that it would solve everything."

Cain groaned. Telling the Eastern Guild fighters there was an engagement was the worst move she could have made. It was bad enough going into their territory with just one guard but this?

"Why did you two go alone in the first place? You know the Eastern Guild doesn't like unwed couples."

"I didn't know that Cain, and we weren't heading there exactly, we got sidetracked and ended up there and it was getting late and we were on the edge of their territory and it just happened. I'll never understand this place," she said, curling back into Jeb's arms.

"So what happened after you told them you were engaged?" he prodded, far less angry now, as concern had taken over. He didn't trust the Eastern Guild, never had.

"Well, they threw us a party. A big one. And gave us a place to stay for the night."

"I see. So a huge engagement party. You accepted?"

She nodded, turning to look up at him finally. "I thought we could enjoy the party, get out of there, and send word after a few weeks that the engagement had been broken off and everything would be fine. I didn't know there was some stupid rule about accepting engagement parties from lawn gnomes and having to go through with it."

At this Cain laughed. "Come here, Kid," he said, opening his arms. She ran into the embrace, still crying, but glad he wasn't angry anymore. It was one thing when he was on her side. Against her, it was scary.

"We weren't trying to hide anything, Cain, promise. We were just discussing everything and how to tell everyone when we got back a little while ago. Apparently word has reached the palace already and naturally mother sent out the invitations since we did such a horrible job of allowing the engagement to slip before the announcements or whatever faux pas we committed by not telling her first."

Cain sighed. "I could think of worse things than you becoming my daughter, Kid," he said laughing. It didn't seem to cheer her up though.

Looking up at him she got her courage back and stared him down just as she had done with Jeb earlier. "Think about it, Kid," he continued. "If it had happened earlier in your little adventure you could have been stuck with Raw or Glitch or me." She rolled her eyes.

"Or it could have been some pompous jerk a few months from now who planned it that way to force you to marry him to give him power and money," Jeb pointed out. "Since you don't know the customs as well it would be rather easy. Would you rather be married to someone like that or me?"

"Hmm, let's see. Ruin my friend's life or be married to a horrible person?"

"How many times do I have to tell you it's not ruining my life?" he asked, causing Cain to study his face more closely. A part of him was beginning to think that his son really did have feelings for DG, making him wonder if he hadn't planned it all along. No, surely he wouldn't have stooped to that level.

"Look, Deege. I know this isn't what you had in mind when you told them that we were engaged, but we don't really have much a choice now." At this all of Cain's worry faded away. He could tell that even though it wasn't planned, his son had managed to fall in love with the princess since he had come to terms with the arrangement, though he wasn't sure his son realized it yet. "Come here, Deege," Jeb said quietly. "Please?"

Sighing softly and trying not to start crying again she reluctantly let go of Cain and went to stand in front of Jeb who looked hurt, realizing she wasn't going to run into his arms like she had his father's. 'Maybe she'd rather be stuck with him he thought bitterly, hoping it wasn't true. That would make their marriage that much worse if she not only didn't want him but wanted his father.

Sure, he hadn't been thrilled when he heard her tell the Eastern Guild fighters they were engaged, but it wasn't the worst possible match either. Who knows, if left to its own devices, it may have gone in that direction anyways.

That last little thought still in his head made his heart heavy. 'Was I falling in love with her before this?' he questioned, waiting to see what she was going to do.

"Jeb, I…I just don't want you to resent me. You shouldn't have to marry someone you didn't choose. I just want you to be happy, you deserve it. And I don't think you'd be happy with me," she said, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"I wouldn't be happy with you or you wouldn't be happy with me?" he asked, afraid of the answer. Cain watched from the sidelines where he had been forgotten for the time being. Watching his son in this position he squirmed, knowing how painful this could become. Sure DG would marry him now because she had to, but if she couldn't accept him truly, he'd be shattered.

"Deege? Could you be happy with me?" he asked again.

"I just hate the idea that we're forced into it, Jeb," she said, turning away from him again and sitting down on the couch. "Can I just be alone for a little while before the rest of the palace comes in demanding to know why I didn't tell them either? Cause I could really use some rest right now."

Cain saw the hurt in Jeb's eyes but in a moment it was gone. "Sure, Deege. Get as much rest as you can. I have a feeling we're going to need a lot of energy to do all the explaining we'll have to do." He approached her once more before leaving the room. Finally getting her to give him a quick hug, he took the opportunity to pick her up and carried her to her bed, throwing a blanket over her. "Sleep soundly," he whispered and left with Cain on his heels.

"I think we'd better talk, Son," said Cain, motioning to a nearby room. Jeb followed quietly, too tired to argue.


	3. New Perspectives

**Disclaimer**: Really wish I owned them.

* * *

Jeb followed Cain into the room, sinking into one of the overstuffed chairs letting out a sigh.

Cain sat in a nearby chair and studied Jeb for a minute. "Now do you see what I'm talking about?" he asked.

'He would take now to say 'I told you so' wouldn't he?' thought Jeb miserably. "I couldn't stop her if that's what you're asking. She meant well though," he said, running his fingers through his hair.

"She's got a good heart. She means well…it just rarely turns out the way she thinks it will."

"Tell me about it. She always expects it to be the way it was in Kansas, but it's not. Sure, there are similarities, but she hasn't adjusted to the changes yet. I'll have to keep a closer eye on that in the future."

Cain nodded his approval. "Just be sure not to underestimate her. She's tough, even with that heart of gold."

Jeb nodded vigorously in agreement. "That's what I'm afraid of though," he said ruefully. "What if someone uses that against her? She's known for being compassionate and loving. She's strong and tough too, but she's had it all used against her before, what would stop somebody from trying it again? What if something happened to me and some jerk stepped in and tricked her into that situation back there, huh? She should be grateful it's just me…"

"Son, I think she'd be fighting it a lot harder if it wasn't you. But you mean something to her, a lot more than some random jerk. Besides, I doubt she would have used that line as a means of defense if it had been anybody else. She trusts you. She's comfortable with you. In order to pull off what you guys did to get out of there, she had to feel those things."

"So you don't think I'm gonna make her miserable?" he asked skeptically.

"I think it could be a heck of a lot worse for both of you."

"So you're not mad anymore?" Jeb asked, surprised at how calm his father was at the moment. Granted, he had been fairly calm since DG curled up in his arms, not that he could blame the man even though it hurt a little remembering that.

"I was mad cause I thought you were two were sneaking around behind my back and I didn't understand why you wouldn't tell me something like that. I would have been happy for you if you had, you know," he added.

"I think you were more hurt you didn't figure it out," Jeb teased.

"That too," said Cain, chuckling and enjoying the time he was spending with his son.

"Do you think she'll ever get used to the idea?" asked Jeb quietly after a couple minutes of silence passed while the two men were lost in thought.

"She's still in shock. Give her time, Son." Jeb nodded as Cain watched him attempt to hide the sadness in his eyes. He could hear Adora plain as day saying 'He gets that from you' and he had to admit she was right.

* * *

DG did as she was told and slept soundly for a couple hours before hearing a knock on the door. It was soon opened by her sister who came to sit in the chair next to the bed.

"You ok, Deege?" she asked, watching her sister with concern.

"Why do I always mess things up?" she asked, sitting up.

"It's more our fault than it is yours, Deege. We should have realized you wouldn't be familiar with all the customs of the area. Jeb couldn't very well correct you after what you said and it would have been rude to refuse the engagement party. Unfortunately, it also means that you'll have to go through with it. Ozian rule. Sorry, Sis."

DG stared at her sister open-mouthed. "Guess I don't have to explain then," she muttered but was grateful.

"Oh, after Cain and Jeb talked they went to Mother and Father to explain the situation. Don't worry, they told them that you were resting and I promised to come check on you after awhile."

DG groaned. "How did it go over?"

"Well, Mother and Father weren't too pleased, but they agree with Cain that you could do a lot worse. Jeb's an honorable man. Besides, it'll be easier to guard you this way," she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hmmph," was all she got in response.

Undeterred she continued. "I think they were more upset to hear of their daughter's engagement by messenger when you were, you know, actually in the palace."

"We were still discussing strategy," she said as if that explained everything. "I can't believe she sent out invitations though," she said, groaning again.

"Well, the invitations were necessary. It was bad enough that the Eastern Guild hadn't heard about it before you showed up. You're lucky they didn't react badly to that. She had to do it to save everything we've worked so hard for in the last annual."

"I know, I know, I just…ugh!"

Az was stopped from having to come up with a response when there was a knock at the door. Getting up to answer it, she was pleased when she opened the door to see Jeb and Cain.

Az let them in and went straight to Jeb. Giving him a hug, which surprised him, she said "Welcome to the family. Take good care of her for me," and with a nod to Cain she left the room.

"You sleep ok, Deege?" Jeb asked.

"As well as can be expected," she retorted. She hated waking up from naps and was extra grumpy given the situation. "Did you two have a nice chat?" she asked, risking a glance at Cain to try and gage his reaction.

"It's fine, DG, I'm alright with it," Cain said, answering her silent question. "I was just hurt you didn't tell me, but given the circumstances I can't say I'm surprised."

She glared at him for a second and then turned to focus on Jeb. "You sure you can do this?" she asked, unsure of herself.

"I'm here, aren't I?" he retorted. He couldn't keep the smile from breaking his stoic face and she smiled back gratefully.

Crawling out from under the blanket she sat up on her knees and went to the edge of the bed where Jeb was standing and curled up against him in a tight hug. He breathed a sigh of relief and held her just as close.

Cain stood up to leave but before reaching the door thought of something else. 'I shouldn't mention it, just let them have some time….no, I should mention it. They need to discuss it.' His head was torn, but finally choosing the latter he hoped he had the guts to say what he was thinking right then and that it would have the desired affect.

Turning back to take one last look at the couple he mused aloud. "I am surprised though…who would have thought my grandkids would be royalty?" and with that he walked out and shut the door behind him.

DG looked up at Jeb startled. "Kids?" she mouthed.

Jeb laughed. "Well, they will be expecting heirs. You are a princess after all. And I'm sure Father would like a couple of grandchildren now that I think about it…" Jeb mused. DG just continued to stare at him.


	4. More Conversations

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own, but wish I did. Thanks for all the awesome reviews! On with the story...

* * *

"So you're not only going to be forced to be married to me, but to…oh this is bad. This is very, very bad. This is –"

"Deege, calm down. You're starting to sound like Glitch."

"It's just everything is happening all at once and now they want…kids? What next? Magical ponies in the stable and dancing puppets? Wait, do they have magical ponies here?"

"You're not making much sense, Sweetheart," he said, laughing. "Hey, come back here," he said, reaching for her. She pulled away, choosing to pace around the room muttering under her breath instead. The only words he understood were "forced," "marriage" and "kids."

Sighing, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back against him, pulling both of them down to where they were sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Oh, no. We are not having this discussion in my bedroom, much less on my bed."

"Fine, then how about a walk? Obviously we need to talk about it and I'm not just gonna leave you right now when you're freaking out about it."

"Walking sounds good."

On the way out of the room they ran into the queen.

"There you are, my angel. I was just coming to ask if you needed any help getting ready for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? What's tomorrow?"

"My goodness! DG, I was under the impression that you had read Mr. Cain's invitation! The wedding is tomorrow."

DG stared at her in horror, grabbing for Jeb's arm at the same time. Even though it felt like she was about to rip it off Jeb stood still, trying to be strong for the both of them. He hadn't noticed that detail in the invitation either.

"Why so soon?" DG asked, finally finding her voice.

"Darling, it's bad enough that you told them you were engaged and they hadn't heard about it before! They needed their invitations pronto and naturally the invitations needed a date…"

"Yeah, I get that. What I don't get is why it has to be tomorrow."

"I thought you two had figured this out already."

"Yeah, no. Still ironing out the details. We're on our way to get some fresh air and work on those details right now. So if you'll excuse us, Mother, I'm going to get that fresh air now, ok?" she said, trying not to snap. She knew her mother meant well and didn't really have a choice but it still bugged her.

"Keep an eye on her, it's getting late." Jeb nodded his understanding as he did his best to keep up with DG who stormed out of the palace.

The queen sighed, watching the pair run out of the palace. She knew from talking to Jeb and his father that DG would be well taken care of which is all she could ask for given the situation.

She had hoped that DG would come around to the idea, given her closeness to the groom-to-be. He certainly seemed to be liking the idea at this point, or so it would seem. When she had run into them moments before, Jeb was attempting to calm her down as they walked out of the palace. The scene touched her. 'Maybe it will end up ok after all. I hope so.'

"Don't worry, My Love," said a voice behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and whispering in her ear, causing her to blush. "I have a good feeling about this. It may not be the best way to start off, but they do genuinely care for each other, that much is obvious. The question is, do they see it?"

"I hope in time they do realize how much they mean to one another."

"I won you over once, didn't I? I have no doubt Jeb will eventually do the same with DG…if he ever figures out that it's what he wants," he laughed.

The queen smiled and turned around to properly hug her husband. "Yes, you did. I had hoped they would figure it out before tomorrow though. Maybe I made a mistake in making it so soon."

"No, it's forcing them to talk or to 'iron out the details' as DG put it. Give them some time. Maybe by tomorrow morning it will have worked itself out," he suggested, holding her close. She nodded into his chest where her head now rested. "Besides, she reminds me of a certain princess I once knew," he said, causing her to laugh.

* * *

"This is so absurd!" she nearly screamed, storming out onto the palace grounds. "How many times do I need to be punished for one honest, silly mistake? I thought I was saving us, not dooming us for all eternity," she mumbled, not taking the hand Jeb extended to her as they walked toward the lake.

"You might want to get that idea out of your system by tomorrow, Sweetheart," he chuckled in yet another failed attempt to lighten the mood. "After all, our guests won't understand if we're fighting."

"Maybe that's how we can break it then!" she said. Upon seeing Jeb's expression she decided maybe that wasn't the best plan. "Granted, if we did that, the guests wouldn't be too pleased, and the Eastern Guild would be insulted since we did accept their engagement party and that might start WWIII." His eyes raised at this, but he certainly looked happier and was that…relieved?

He couldn't figure out her sudden change of heart but took it as a good sign and let her continue with her rantings, hoping she would get it out of her system quickly.

"So," she continued, "in recap: they want us married tomorrow, and they expect heirs. Am I missing anything?" she asked, finally stopping and turning to face him when they reached the gazebo.

"No, I think that about sums it up."

"You realize that means that we can't just be best friends and pretend to be married. We're going to have to…you know…if we're supposed to have kids and all," she said quickly, running it together as much as possible. 'Boy this is embarrassing.'

"That is my understanding of the way the world works, yes," he said, amused at the cute little blush that was creeping over her face at what she had just said.

"Do you see now why I feel like I'm ruining your life? You could be out there, finding your one true love and making a family with her! But no, because of my stupidity you're stuck with a silly princess."

"DG, would you just stop it? Please? I'm not stuck with you! Did you ever think that maybe I'm really not as upset about this arrangement as you are?"

"But why would you –"

"Look, in the beginning it was scary. I'm not disputing that. I'm just saying that in the last few days I've actually gotten used to the idea and I think – I think I'm starting to fall for you. So no, you're not ruining my life. Unless you really hate the idea of being with me that much…or perhaps you'd rather you were stuck with…someone else," he said quietly, trying not to think of her with anyone else, especially the someone he had in mind.

"Oh Jeb," she said, running into his arms. The grin on his face was wider than she ever imagined when she finally risked a glance up at him.

"I never meant to trap you, Jeb," she continued. "It would be one thing if you chose to be with me, but I feel horrible about the way it happened."

"Don't. It was probably always there and I just didn't let myself see it. Maybe it took something like a silly, honest mistake to make me realize how much I care. I'm just glad it wasn't anyone else. I don't think my heart could take it if it were," he said, tucking her head into his shoulder where she was curling up.

"I wouldn't have used that line to get us out of there if it had been anybody else," she whispered.

Looking down at the beautiful woman in his arms, Jeb smiled again, the importance of what she had just said sinking in.

"Does that mean you have feelings for me, too?" he asked. She nodded into his shoulder.

"I couldn't say anything cause you were my best friend. I was kinda hoping you'd figure it out though. And then when we got caught by the Eastern Guild fighters I thought it was a nice excuse and it would be fun to see what it might be like, you know?"

"Did you have fun at the party?" he asked, chuckling, remembering how good it felt to dance with her. Again she nodded, curling up tighter against him.

"We should probably start heading back, Deege. It really is getting late and we have a big day tomorrow," he said, taking her hand in his and heading toward the palace. She looked up at him smiling.

Halfway back she finally decided to ask him the question that had been burning on her brain all evening. "Jeb, if you hadn't fallen in love with me…do you think you would have been able to handle it? I mean, I know I'm trouble, but I don't mean to be."

"Handle what? Being married to a beautiful, intelligent, good-hearted woman? Sure."

"I mean it, Jeb. Being married to a princess is sure to be annoying at times. And then there's the whole thing about having heirs. Just because we're good friends doesn't mean that you'd be ok with it."

Stopping her and pulling her into him he took a deep breath before sighing. "Deege. This is the easiest way I can put this: I'm a man and I am very attracted to you, always have been. If it came down to it, I wouldn't object. Besides, I'd rather you be with me than any of the men with less honorable intentions that I mentioned before." She smiled.

"Luckily for both of us, I do love you, so it's not a concern," he continued. "But if I hadn't fallen in love with you before the wedding, I'm sure after a few days in close quarters you would have convinced me to just by being yourself."

She blushed at the compliment and grabbed his hand, pulling them back toward the palace again, an obvious smile on her face at what he had just said.

"What about you? Think you could have put up with me?"

"Of course. I told you I had at least thought about it before. It would been like a dream come true."

"Then why all the complaining?" he asked, looking hurt. The constant whining had gotten to him, not because it was annoying, no. She actually managed to make complaining cute. It hurt because she didn't want to be with him, or so he thought.

"I wanted it to be your choice. I've never liked the thought of forced marriages and I couldn't bear the thought that I was to be married to a man I loved who didn't love me back. That would have killed me. I feel guilty enough about everything else I've done, I didn't need that added to it, not to mention the thought of costing you your one true love and –"

"Shh," he said soothingly, pulling her into another embrace at the palace entrance. "My one true love is standing in front of me making my dreams come true in her own unique way," he said laughing. She made a face but didn't try to argue.

"I just wish this whole engagement thing hadn't happened in its 'own unique way,'" she said, bitterly. "It would have been nice to be normal. You know: you propose, I say yes…none of this: I have to tell the lawn gnomes we're engaged so they'll get off our backs and then wow, we're actually engaged stuff," she said as they made it to her door.

In one swift movement Jeb had taken her hand, removed the ring she had conjured up in the Eastern Guild territory, and was on one knee in the blink of an eye. "DG Gale, will you please marry me?...By choice?" he added, causing her to laugh.

"Yes, Jeb. Of course, yes," she said, laughing with him, but thrilled to know he was truly choosing her.

He slipped the ring back on her finger with a quick kiss to her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace. Just as they were about to kiss for the first time she heard the clock chimes and realized it was midnight.

"You can't see me right now!" she screamed, running into her room and locking the door.

Stunned, Jeb asked what was wrong through the door.

"Ask my dad! Night Jeb!" said a muffled voice. Shaking his head in confusion he headed down the hall, hoping Ahamo was still awake.

Stepping further into her suite, a smile firmly planted on her face, she jumped slightly when a figure in the corner moved.

* * *

Jeb walked through the halls toward Ahamo's office, more confused than ever. 'I was this close to kissing her. Could I have scared her off somehow? Maybe where she comes from they don't kiss before marriage?' No, that didn't sound right, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong with her either.

Nearing Ahamo's office, he saw the light on. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

"Jeb, come in, come in. Have a seat. What can I help you with? I hope my daughter isn't giving you too much trouble."

"No, Sir. Well, what I mean is, she said something confusing and when I asked what she meant she said to ask you, so here I am." He said it quickly but hoped he wouldn't be asked to repeat it. This whole situation was embarrassing enough.

"What did she say?"

"She said 'You can't see me right now!'" he said, looking more confused than he had when she said it.

"And she sent you to me?" Ahamo mused. Jeb nodded his head.

"Hmm…when was this?"

"A few minutes ago," said Jeb looking at the clock on Ahamo's desk. "Around midnight. I heard the chimes go off."

"Ah, yes," said Ahamo. Everything was becoming clear. "Yes, it's an Other Side tradition. The groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding on their wedding day. Since you two are getting married today and it is now after midnight, she probably didn't want to jinx it. It's already gotten off to a rocky start, if I'm correct in my thinking."

"Oh. So that's what she meant. It was right when the chimes were going off and she seemed to panic for a moment. As for the rocky start things are looking up," he said confidently, causing Ahamo to raise his eyebrows.

"Glad to hear it, Jeb. I won't say I wasn't worried, but with Gale women you have to give them a chance to come around and given the circumstances…" he trailed off.

"We've talked about stuff. She knows now that it may have started as an obligation, but I choose her to be my wife. I even proposed properly tonight since I was cheated out of the chance before," he said ruefully. "She does everything the hard way doesn't she?"

Ahamo roared with laughter. "That she does. A trait she gets from her mother, I assure you. They're pistols but they're well worth it."

"You should know, Sir. I do love your daughter. It may have taken this ridiculous situation for me to realize it, but she has my heart and it is my understanding that I have hers as well."

"Glad to hear it. I hoped you two would realize what was right under your noses," he said, slapping Jeb on the shoulder as the two men stood up. "Now why don't you go get some sleep. You have a big day ahead of you and I'm guessing a long night as well," he said winking. Jeb blushed and headed out the door.

* * *

"Mother, you startled me!"

"Sorry, my angel, but I need to talk to you before tomorrow. I have a proposition for you."


	5. A Proposition & An Apology

"What kind of proposition?" asked DG, sitting on the edge of her bed to face her mother.

"I know this is all so sudden, my angel. I was thinking perhaps we could…extend it a couple of days. That is, the guests will be arriving today, but it isn't unheard of for a royal wedding celebration to last a couple of days before the wedding has taken place. So, if you and Jeb need more time to sort things out I would be happy to make the arrangements."

"Oh, is that all," DG said, sighing. "We talked it out, Mother. I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow, though I'll be happy when the ceremony is over. I hate big, fancy events. But Jeb said that he loves me and he proposed properly so I don't have a problem with going ahead with the ceremony tomorrow."

"Are you sure, DG?" she asked incredulously. "I'm very happy to know that he loves you but what of your feelings?"

"I love him too, Mother," she said blushing. "I just didn't want him to be forced to marry me, that's all. Knowing he loves me changes everything."

"I'm happy to hear that," said the queen, smiling. "I'll let you get some sleep now, Darling. Goodnight, DG."

"Goodnight, Mother," she said, hugging the queen before heading to bed. It had been a long day.

* * *

As Jeb headed to his room he heard a noise and turned, seeing Cain come out of his room. The two locked eyes for a second before Cain asked him if he wanted to come in and talk. Jeb nodded.

"How did it go?" he asked, settling into a comfortable chair.

"Really well, actually," said Jeb, grinning. "Well, not so great at first. It turns out she thought I was being forced into this and she blamed herself for me missing out on my chance to find my 'one true love.' Once I told her she was it she was thrilled with the idea. I can't believe I never noticed she had feelings for me," he said, shaking his head.

"So the kid's been in love with you this whole time?"

"I guess. She said she wouldn't have used that line with anybody else, even to get away from the 'lawn gnomes' as she likes to call them."

Cain smiled at this, remembering the first time she had done that and happy to know his son was marrying someone he loved who loved him back.

* * *

By the time the queen made it back to her room Ahamo was waiting for her.

"Good, you're still awake. It looks like we won't be having to extend the wedding any longer than originally planned," she said, smiling.

"Oh? And why is that? Not that I'm not thrilled, mind you."

"It seems that Jeb truly loves her and having proposed properly tonight after telling her such, she has accepted it and is happy to go through with the wedding tomorrow. She says she loves him too," she added as an afterthought.

"I gathered as much from my conversation with Jeb a few minutes ago. He was in great spirits when I talked to him, although a bit confused. DG sent him to me to explain an Other Side tradition," he laughed.

The queen smiled, hugging her husband. "I'm glad they're happy. I was worried that we were making a mistake in insisting they go through with it. Under normal circumstances I would never have allowed it, but with the turmoil of the last 16 annuals…"

"Sshh, Darling, they understood. Even when they weren't happy about it they understood. But they're in love now, and I daresay looking forward to tomorrow, even if it's going to be a long day as I was telling Jeb just moments ago."

"You told Jeb it was going to be a long day?" she asked curiously.

"Isn't every wedding day a long day?" he asked, concerned by her reaction.

"Yes, especially royal wedding days, but…what exactly did you say to him? If I recall you avoided the planning of the wedding quite skillfully…"

"I merely told him it would be best to get some sleep as he was going to have a big day tomorrow and undoubtedly a long night as well."

"You didn't!" she said, looking stricken.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Love, but a royal ball hardly ends early, especially when serving as a wedding reception and balls most definitely equal long nights."

"Yes, but are you sure he understood what you meant by that?"

"No, he probably didn't. Granted, when your father told me something similar I thought he meant something else, too."

"My father said no such thing to you!"

"Oh, but he did. I was scarred by it for a night before realizing that the ball seemed like it would never end. Then it clicked what he meant. I'll never forget the look on his face when he said it too. He knew he was leading me on and he loved every second of it. Long balls as wedding receptions indeed Whose brilliant idea was that?"

"Ahamo!"

"What? Consider it tradition. He can scare the living daylights out of whoever marries his daughter someday too."

"He no doubt will. Here I thought you were her father and not his, yet here you are acting as his best friend instead of his future father-in-law."

"After tomorrow I'll be both their fathers, but I really don't mind the idea of having children running around this palace again."

"You are going to go and apologize to that boy right now and explain what you meant! That was a rotten thing to do. I don't care where you learned it."

"He's probably asleep by now, Dear. Let's just get some sleep and he'll figure it out tomorrow night like I did. He's an intelligent man."

"I thought the same of you until a minute ago. If you intend to sleep I suggest you do it somewhere else until you have apologized to that boy and I would prefer it to be before the wedding. As for being asleep right now, did _you_ get any sleep the night before our wedding? Cause I certainly didn't."

"Good point. I'll go check on him, shall I?" he asked, excusing himself from the room quickly.

* * *

"She certainly has a knack for getting into trouble," Cain mused.

"That she does," came a voice from the door with an accompanying knock. "Mind if I come in?"

The Cain men looked up at Ahamo in the entryway and nodded, motioning for him to sit down.

"My wife seems to think I may have been a bit…cruel earlier with something I said." Jeb blushed, making an educated guess while Cain looked on in confusion.

"By 'late night'," he continued, "I meant the reception. Royal weddings are notorious for running through most of the day and the ball afterwards is sure to last until at least this time tomorrow night as the entire O.Z. will be wanting to congratulate you both."

"I see," said Jeb slowly.

"In all fairness, her father did that to me as well, though in my case I had to wait until the ball about did me in before I realized what he meant. Apparently my wife didn't think following that particular tradition was a good idea, nor did she like my forthrightness with approval for the relationship in such a manner. I, however, couldn't think of a better man for my daughter and I'm rather looking forward to grandchildren," he mused.

"You're really not overprotective, are you?" asked Cain, shaking his head.

"No, Mr. Cain. My definition of being protective means making sure my daughters are alive and happy. My wife on the other hand…"

"Well, like you said, Sir. They're pistols but they're worth it," said Jeb.

"That they are. Well, gentlemen, it's been fun, but I should go tell my wife I've apologized for any awkwardness I may have caused and get to bed before all the fuss starts in the morning."

Standing, he shook their hands and left the room. The Cain men looked at each other and shook their heads. "Remind me never to put him in charge of driving suitors away from my daughters, should I have any," Jeb said before leaving the room. Cain nodded in agreement.

* * *

The next day started with Az walking down the hall to help DG get ready for her big day. As she was about to knock on the door she heard DG scream.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Next update will hopefully not take too long. Unfortunately I do have some papers for school that need attention as well, but I'll update ASAP. Don't forget to review!


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